Unexpectedly
by OliviaAnne
Summary: Their return to the Land of the Rising Sun was unexpected. The re-opening of the Japan SPR Branch was unexpected. What was truly unexpected though was the change to the brown-eyed brunette...
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing: Lin Koujo x Taniyama Mai**

Hi, Nana here! This isn't my first ghost hunt story. For those who have read my previous story, YES, I'm long overdue with an update but I apologize if it still hasn't come. I'm still in the process – yes, still in the process of editing some parts of the last chapter. With work and reality coming in between, it's a bit hard for me to actually sit down and let my imagination run wild with how I want the ending to go.

I've always been a die-hard fan of the Lin and Mai pairing. So, this is my take of a fictional story between the two of them.

Just to give you guys a heads up, I'm also a big fan of the Final Fantasy games. Been a fan since FF6 up to latest which is FFXV so I might incorporate a thing or two… or three… in this story. And some other characters from games and animes that I'm in love with. Hope you guys don't mind that.

I hope you guys will enjoy this one!

 **xxxxx**

"Mai-san?"

"Hai?"

"It's time."

"I'll be right there."

…

" _Gene? What are those orb-looking things?"_

 _He smiled. "Will-o'-wisps."_

" _Are they a good sign or a bad sign?"_

" _Usually, people see them as an ominous ghost light. In some countries, they believe the will-o'-wisps to be the spirits of the dead who lead travelers to deathly places."_

 _The brunette tilted her head to one side, still eyeing the will-o'-wisp that's below her. "Then, how about that one?" Pointing to the orb that she was looking. "Is that will-o'-wisp a bad sign?"_

 _Gene nodded. "It's a very –"_

 _BOOM!_

 _Gene instantly looked at his surroundings, trying to look for the source of the loud noise._

 _But he found nothing._

 _Then realized something else._

 _The brunette that was beside him earlier wasn't there anymore._

" _Hey! Where are yo -!"_

 _BOOM!_

"Eugene!"

Gene instantly opened his eyes. He could see his twin hovering over him, his cerulean eyes looking intensely at his own.

"You had a dream."

It was then he noticed that his breathing was labored. He could feel beads of sweat dripping down his forehead and neck. His hands were gripping the sheets too tight. His back was soaked with his own sweat.

His entire body was feeling too worn out to even nod to his brother. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused on getting his breathing stable. He had to clear the panic that was still in his body. He needed to clear his mind to remember the dream that he just had.

"Noll, what's going on? I just heard you scream."

It was his mom.

"Hold on a minute, Mom."

With his brother's support, he could finally focus on the dream that he just had.

It was the same girl, over and over. She seemed so familiar, yet he could not place a name. His dreams with her are so random. First, he dreamed about her in an old school house. Next, in a white two-story house. Next, in a school. He was always in different places, yet he would always be with _her_.

He needed to tell his brother and Lin about this.

It's been going on for months.

"Noll." He spoke softly.

"Gene."

"I need to talk to you and Lin."

He heard footsteps on his side. "Darling, what is this about?"

Slowly, he turned to his side and opened his tired eyes. He smiled at his mom despite his fatigue. "I'll tell you later Mom, I promise."

Seeing his mother's furrowed eyebrows and worried eyes, he knew she didn't want to be left out of the loop. "Do you want me to call Lin?"

"Yes, please."

His mother straightened up and looked at him directly in his eyes with an intense gaze. "You WILL tell me after. No excuses."

He chuckled. "Yes Mom, no excuses."

Satisfied with his answer, his mom finally turned and left.

"What's going on, Gene?"

Gene sighed. His twin was always so impatient. He raised his arm up and held his hand out to his twin. "Help me up first, will you?"

Without missing a second, he was brought to a sitting position. The sudden change of posture made his head swim. His body still wasn't done being exhausted. "Gently, why don't you?" He complained, massaging the sides of his head to ease the dull pain.

"If you're complaining then that means you're well enough to handle yourself."

"Idiot Scientist…"

The sound of knocking and a door opening interrupted their conversation. "Eugene." It was Lin.

Gene grinned sheepishly at their long-time companion. "Terribly sorry for waking you up at this hour, Lin."

Lin closed the door and inched towards Gene's bed. "Luella said that you needed me."

Gene nodded and patted his side of the bed. "Take a seat. This might take a while."

The onmyouji nodded and took a seat on the side of Gene's bed.

Gene breathed out slowly before starting. "I've been having dreams that I don't really understand."

"What dreams?" Lin asked.

"I…" Gene scratched his head. "It's so random, really."

"How long have you been having this dreams, Gene?" His brother finally asked.

"3 months ago."

Gene saw Noll's eyes narrow. " _That_ long? And you didn't even bother to tell us?"

Gene knew that his twin was about to start scolding him for not telling important dreams. "Listen Noll, hear me out first before you start your nagging."

His silence was Gene's cue to start.

"I honestly didn't think so much about this dreams when it first started." He ran his hand through his hair, trying to settle the anxiety that was building up again. "I thought it was just some spirit that needed help. But then when this girl came, and the scene started to form in front of me, I suddenly felt like I was on auto-pilot."

"What do you mean?" The onmyouji asked.

"I don't know if it's the right word to use for this situation, but it felt like _deja-vu_ to me. Like, the entire scene, the conversation that I was having with this girl, it felt like it had already happened."

Noll's eyes narrowed. _A girl?_

"What does this 'girl' look like, Gene?" Noll inquired.

He racked his brain again for the image of the girl. "She's short. From her looks, she's like about 15 or 16 years old. Brown hair with a bob-cut and brown eyes."

Without Gene's knowledge, both Lin and Noll's eyes widened at the description. They knew _someone_ who looked like that.

"When she's around, the plane seems a lot brighter and the atmosphere feels lighter." Gene continued.

"Do you think this girl is dead?" Lin could not help but ask. He looked at Gene's twin. His facial expression was tight.

Gene immediately shook his head.

A breath that both men didn't even think that they were holding was silently let out.

Noll ran a pale hand through his hair, discreetly relieving the built-up stress from Lin's question. "Can you remember the first dream you had when she appeared?"

"It was in an old school building," He started slowly, trying to remember how his dream started. "Initially, I thought it was an old house but when I checked inside, I saw a science laboratory, some shelves, desks and chairs."

"I heard a sound and it came from below me, that's when I knew that I was on the second floor. When I went down, that was when I saw her. The moment I saw her," He paused, looking at his crumpled sheets. "It felt like my soul knew her, yet my mind can't come up with a name."

"She was sitting on the floor and she looked lost." He chuckled softly, remembering the girl's facial expression. "I helped her up and she started asking me who I was. Just when I was about to answer, I felt myself being pulled away from her… then I woke up."

Gene looked at his two silent companions… something in their eyes was making him feel uncomfortable. They were starting at him _quite_ intensely.

"Did I say something wrong?" His voice hinted uneasiness. "You guys are looking at me like I'm some lunatic." Gene commented.

"Gene," His twin started slowly. "Before I say anything else, I would like you to give me another account of one of your dreams with her."

Gene could see the gears turning in his brother's head. He wanted to know what was inside his head. He used to be able to know what his brother was thinking but ever since… Gene shook his head and discarded his train of thought. There was no point in dwelling over what happened three years ago. "I woke up in a relatively large house," He started again slowly, trying to remember his second dream. "I was in the kitchen. I could see several will-o'-wisps floating around but even though I was in the kitchen, I could feel something heavy that was coming from another room."

"When I stepped out of the kitchen, the scene immediately changed… then I saw her again. I was standing behind her but wasn't anywhere near her. In front of us was a well and a little girl playing a ball. Suddenly, a man came out from the trees and took the girl with him. A few seconds later, a woman appeared and seemed to be looking for the little girl. The scene then continuously changed from season to season. The woman," He paused for a bit, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "went back to the well where the man took the child, climbed over the well and jumped in it."

"So she _did_ commit suicide…" His twin suddenly uttered in a low voice.

Gene looked at his companions. They were both looking at each other. From their expressions, he could tell that they know something.

"Gene." Lin finally decided to speak.

"Yes, Lin?"

"Does the name Taniyama Mai seem familiar to you?"

…

"Mai."

"Yes, Lin-san?"

"Your circle is too small. Test your limits."

The brunette concentrated on releasing more of her power yet containing it in a much bigger circle around her. Tendrils of her now long hair were flying everywhere yet she paid it no mind. Lin Wei would make her clean the entire beach if she didn't at least try to test her powers to the limit.

"That's good." Lin's deep voice floated through her ears. "Keep going."

The more that she stretched her powers outwards, the more her body is feeling the strain. She couldn't see how far her circle had gone with her eyes closed but she could guess that it was at least a good distance away from her since her instructor had dished out a compliment which was truly rare.

Her body was starting to feel the toll on over-exerting her powers. She can feel sweat forming and her breathing was coming out in short gasps.

"Like what I taught you," Her instructor started. "Release the energy slowly like smoke."

 _Finally…_ Releasing the control of her powers was much more easier to her than releasing then containing it.

 _FWIP!_

Mai lazily flopped onto the sand and was breathing in and out heavily. "Haaaa~."

"Tired?"

The brunette chuckled. "Very." She let out a few heavy breaths before finally asking the question that was on her mind. "What's the big deal with you forcing me to go beyond my usual power circle, Lin-san?"

She could hear shoes squishing against sand, an indication that her instructor was walking towards her spot. "You'll know in time, Mai."

Mai shrugged, somehow already expecting that her instructor wouldn't respond. She knew that whatever her instructor taught her, it was always very important.

"And besides," Lin started again. "Next week will probably be an interesting week."

Mai's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What's happening next week?"

Lin Wei simply smiled and told the brunette to clean up and start her duties at the shrine.

"Stupid Lin-san…" Mai mumbled under her breath. Slowly, she got up and dusted off the sand particles that got stuck on her clothes. "If he didn't wanna say it, then he shouldn't have just said it in the first place…"

"Oh well, at least he isn't as stoic as his younger brother…" She pulled her hair up in a pony tail to keep it from looking too messy.

"Ojou-san?"

"Hai, Tomoe?"

"It's time for you to go back."

"Hai, hai." With one final check on her clothes, she started her trek back to the shrine. "Someone has to listen to the prayers, right?"

"Hai, Ojou."

 **xxxxx**

 **And there you go! The first chapter for my Lin x Mai fic! I've always wanted to do a Lin x Mai fic and finally it's here! I'm so so so so so excited!**

 **As always, honest reviews are appreciated so that I can improve my skills.**

 **With Christmas holidays, hopefully I can at least update a chapter or two.**

 **Merry Christmas to everybody and a Happy New Year in advance!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Pairing: Lin Koujo x Taniyama Mai**

I hope you guys will enjoy this one!

 **xxxxx**

"He was practically walking into her dreams to guide her and help your cases, yet he doesn't remember her?"

"Madoka," The patriarch of the Davis family started. "You can't just instantly assume that Gene would remember all of it considering that he was in a coma the entire time."

"His spirit and physical body aren't bound by the same rules." Lin interjected.

"Lin's right." Noll agreed. "Gene did say that during his dreams, he always felt like the events had already happened."

"Which actually _did_ happen." Madoka added as a point of fact. "Could it be possible though that his spirit actually remembers her but when his spirit went back to him, his physical body veiled over the memories?"

"What do you mean?" Luella inquired, eyes darting from one person to another. "How could Gene's physical body block memories from his spirit when essentially they are one?"

"Like what Lin said, his spirit and his physical body aren't bound by the same rules." Madoka countered.

"There have been a lot of theories going around," Lin took a seat to the nearest couch and settled his gaze on Noll's mother. "Some theories say that your spirit is purely spiritual, therefore material desires and memories do not get transferred to the next body. Because if you do remember your previous life, you would have remembered innumerable births and unpleasant memories that will drive you insane."

"Also," Noll interjected. "Another theory stated that God places a veil over the mind of the newly created body which restricts the body to remember memories from a previous life."

Luella's face scrunched up. "Those theories seem too far-fetched though. Gene is alive, for one." Luella crossed her legs. "You boys are talking about the transfer of a spirit from a dead body to a new one. Gene's body may have died for a few minutes, but Gene's body isn't a new body."

"Like the boys said, Lu," Martin shifted in his own chair and crossed his arms in front of him. "Those are just theories. We can toss theories back and forth all afternoon, we still wouldn't be able to answer Gene's situation."

"What time is Gene supposed to be home?" Madoka asked off-handedly while looking at her watch. "He is in the BSPR building, right?"

Noll stood up from the couch and straightened his button-up shirt.

"Where are you going, Oliver?" His mother asked.

"I'll just make some calls."

Luella raised an elegant eyebrow. "Calls? To who?"

"Just some people. I'll be in my room if you need me."

She was met with his back and the silent click of the door.

"A £100 says he's calling his old team in Japan." Madoka raised the bet with a smirk on her features.

Lin simply shook his head and gave a small smile of his own. "I'm actually with you on that."

"There's no point for that bet anymore if anyone is thinking the same thing." Luella grinned from her seat. Her son may not be vocal, yet she could predict him so easily.

"Darn it, I needed that £100…" Madoka pouted for dramatics.

"Is BSPR not paying you enough, Madoka?" Martin asked behind the huge folder he was holding, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Why Martin, I was waiting for you to ask that!"

Everyone in the parlor just laughed.

 **…**

"John! It's been so long!"

As usual, John sent his old friend a sweet smile. "It certainly has been, Ayako-san."

They both sat at the nearest booth that could house at least 10 persons. "So, is anyone here with you?" Ayako started, looking around the restaurant.

John shook his head. "No. Masako is on her way though."

"Oh?" Ayako's eyebrows raised in question. "Last time I remember, you always called Masako as Hara-san. You guys kept in touch after all these years?"

The blonde Australian laughed sheepishly. "Ah, well, you can say that."

"My, my John," The redhead sent John a knowing smile. "Didn't know you had it in you, what with you being a priest and all."

John laughed at Ayako's antics. She was a lot like the female version of Yasuhara. "Actually, I stepped down a few years ago."

John's statement was so sudden, it took her a few seconds before she actually processed what he had just said. "Eh?!" She exclaimed in complete surprise. "You did?! Why?"

"Why, his God wanted him to be with me, of course."

The addition of a different voice jolted Ayako from her shock and looked at the new arrival.

It was Hara Masako.

Ayako looked at the celebrity. As expected, her skin was flawless like porcelain, hair shining under the bright lights and her kimono looking expensive. And – _wait, what did she say?_

"I'm sorry, his God did what?"

For the first time, she heard Masako laugh.

The medium took a seat next to the _supposedly_ priest… and laced her hand through his.

 _Oh… OH!_

"You guys are together?!"

Masako nodded demurely, unfazed by Ayako's surprised face. "For almost 2 years now, actually."

Ayako leaned back on her seat and ran a hand through her red locks. "Wow…" She gazed at the two people in front of her. They were real. John and Masako _are_ holding hands. This was real. "This surely is a huge surprise." She commented.

"If you're thinking about how totally unexpected our relationship is, then it's understandable." Masako said.

Ayako nodded. The medium was absolutely right. "Years ago, you were so into Naru…"

Masako simply waved a hand and chuckled. "Time changes people, Matsuzaki-san."

Ayako grinned. "It's Ayako, Masako – and yes, I absolutely agree to that."

"Hello my fellow minions!"

"Ugh…" The priestess groaned. She knew who _that_ was.

"Wow, Hara-san, looking beautiful always and – oh, _what is this?_ "

Masako giggled. "You're quite handsome yourself, Yasuhara-san."

Ayako stared at the SPR jester. Without a doubt, Yasuhara had grown into a good-looking man, his glasses adding to his mysterious appeal. He was wearing a simple plain white shirt tucked into his straight-cut jeans. Yasuhara Osamu looked pretty clean, handsome and smart to boot. He'd be a lady-killer if he wanted to be.

Yasuhara took the space next to the redhead. "Ayako-san, have you known about this interesting progress?"

"Just a few minutes ago, actually."

"Oh wow…" Yasuhara's voice softened and looked at the pair in front of him. "It's been so long."

"Are you in university, Yasuhara-san?" John asked out of the blue.

Yasuhara nodded. "I'm a 3rd year, studying Information Technology. I'd like to thank SPR for the inspiration." He grinned. "Seeing Lin-san and Naru do all these technical things made me realize my love for technology."

As always, John smiled in response. "I'm glad that you're enjoying your studies, Yasuhara-san."

"But enough about me!" Ayako could sense where the bespectacled man wants the conversation to go. She smirked at his scheming antics; he definitely hadn't changed. "What about you guys? Last thing I remembered, John here was a priest!"

"Yo, guys!"

Ayako couldn't help but laugh at Yasuhara's sudden change of facial expression. Just a moment ago, he was looking like a puppy, waiting for his favorite food to come but with the sudden interruption, his face just morphed into an evil demon waiting for blood.

Her husband's timing was sometimes impeccable.

Ayako grinned at her husband. "Houshou, perfect timing."

"Aren't I always?" The monk winked at his wife and looked at the man seating beside her. "Oi, shounen!"

"Bou-san!" Yasuhara exclaimed, his grin very evident in his face. "It's finally high-time for the both of us to be together!" He stood up from his seat and swung an arm around the monk's shoulder. "I'm pretty sure John would agree that this reunion is a part of God's plan for us to be together forever! Am I right, John?"

"John, don't even –"

"I would have to agree with Yasuhara-san."

Ayako roared in laughter.

Monk groaned and covered his face.

Masako covered her giggles with her kimono.

And Yasuhara, well, did his own version of a happy dance.

"Hey guys! Did we miss anything?"

Every former SPR member turned to the female voice that joined their merriment.

 _Finally_.

"Yo Lin, Naru-bou, Madoka-san, Gene. It's been a while."

 **…**

She stroked the pink petals with gentleness. The moonlight shining above the flower beds made the flowers twinkle; they all looked so alive and fragile. "They're blooming quite wonderfully today."

"That's because _you_ make them bloom as they are, Ojou." A man standing behind her replied. "You check on them every single day, making sure they get enough water and sunlight. You tend to these flowers with love and care. In return, they bloom beautifully, just for you."

The man watched as the woman in front of him stood up and turned to him with a soft smile. _Ah Ojou, you can't do that to me._ "You're starting to sound like a poet, Tomoe. What has gotten into you?"

He saw her shiver a bit when the wind passed by. "Ojou, it's time to go back. You'll get sick."

The girl giggled. "Hai hai, Tomoe-sama."

Tomoe smirked at his charge's playful response. "You really wanna get scolded by Lin-sama just because you got sick?"

Just the name of her master got her legs moving and grabbed one of Tomoe's arms.

"Thanks for the warning, Tomoe."

"For you, Ojou."

 **…**

"Hold up." Ayako gazed directly into Madoka's eyes. "So basically, what you're trying to say is you don't know where Mai is or how to contact her?"

"Have you tried her landlord?" The monk leaned forward to look at the pinkette.

Madoka nodded. "I did. Her landlord said that Mai had already moved 2 years ago."

"Did her landlord know where she was moving?" Yasuhara fixed his glasses. "Mai was still a minor when she moved, she could have at least asked where she was moving."

"Actually," Madoka started. "The landlord did ask for Mai's contact number and new address just in case anybody looked for her, but Mai said that her phone got lost at some point and she didn't bother buying a new one. As for her address, she also didn't give it to her landlord because she didn't know the address that she was moving in to. Apparently, she was moving into the house of her mother's close friend."

"Did her landlord _at least_ ask for a name?" Yasuhara asked again.

"Oh, she did."

"Who?"

"She couldn't remember."

"The hell?" Monk uttered under his breath. He was starting to feel guilty. He did receive a few missed calls from their brunette friend, yet he decided not to call back since he was on tour and prioritized his sleep.

"She did say one interesting thing though." Madoka said as she twirled her hair around her finger absent-mindedly.

"What's that?" Yasuhara asked.

"The close friend of Mai's mother is Chinese."

"Eh?" The three cried out in surprise.

Ayako ran a clammy hand through her red locks. It was very unnerving to think that their youngest member was nowhere to be found. She may be in good hands right now considering that she's living with her mom's best friend but still, she wanted to see how Mai was doing. She felt guilty for not keeping her correspondence with their youngest former SPR member.

"Ano, can I say something now?"

They placed their gaze to the former priest who was starting to look uncomfortable with their undivided attention. "What is it, John?" Naru finally spoke.

"A-ano…" He looked at his companion with wide eyes.

Masako had to suppress a giggle. She can't even imagine how John manages to do a eucharistic mass if he's this shy. "We actually know where Mai lives and who she's living with."

Gene's eyes narrowed at the medium. "Then why didn't you say so in the first place?"

Masako leveled Gene's glare with a patient gaze of her own. "I did try, I just couldn't put a word in with everyone's voice louder than my own."

"Then shout, for God's sake!" Ayako glared at the medium in front of her.

Masako's patient gaze was directed at the redhead. "I do not shout in public places. It causes a scene and I'm not the only one here who likes privacy."

Just when Ayako was about to blurt out her own reply, John raised a hand and shouted "Stop!".

He blew out a breath and looked at Oliver. "We're sorry that we didn't say so earlier. We weren't planning to withhold Mai's whereabouts. We just waited 'til everyone was settled down so that we can discuss the things you need to know more civilly."

Ayako leaned back on her seat and continued glaring at the medium, still pissed at her for not saying anything earlier. _She's lucky that John always has her back._

Naru pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to alleviate the headache that was trying to seep into his brain. He understood Masako's reasoning. She was a celebrity. She can't just act recklessly in a public place. Still, it didn't help with his growing annoyance with her. "Next time, don't wait." He said firmly, which John responded with a simple nod of his own.

"So," Lin finally spoke. "Where is Taniyama-san?"

"She's in Izumo, living in the Izumo Shrine."

Lin's eyebrows furrowed slightly. That sounded… odd. "A Chinese living in a shrine? What is Taniyama-san doing there?"

Masako smiled at him. _That's definitely odd._ Lin thought.

"She's being trained to become a shrine priestess."

 **…**

"Akito-kun?"

"Yes, Lin-sama?"

"Make sure we're fully stocked. We've got visitors coming."

"When?"

"Hmm… probably a day or two from now."

"Yes, Lin-sama."

"Oh, and don't tell Mai."

 **xxxxx**

 **See? Finally, another update. It feels good to update. Yes, feels good….**

 **Okay. Enough.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! :) Honest reviews are appreciated, as always. Sending all of you guys some virtual hugs and cookies!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Pairing: Lin Koujo x Taniyama Mai**

I hope you guys will enjoy this one!

 **xxxxx**

"Can someone please explain to me again why we're not taking an airplane to Izumo?!" Ayako huffed angrily from the passenger seat in monk's car. "You guys are from BSPR for God's sake! You've got more than enough money to pay for tickets!"

"If you're gonna complain so much, then you can opt to stay." Naru spoke in his usual indifferent voice.

"Noll!" Gene scolded his twin and sent an apologetic smile to Ayako. "Actually Ayako-san, this trip of ours isn't funded by BSPR. Our plane tickets from England to here, the hotel reservations, the car rentals; all of it came from our own pockets."

"You know," She heard her husband speak from the trunk of their car. "I've been meaning to ask you guys, but we got side-tracked from Mai's disappearance." She felt their car jostle from monk closing the trunk. "What is the reason for you guys flying back here anyway? No offense but I don't think you guys would just fly here to visit us."

"We'll fill you guys in once we settle properly in Izumo." Gene replied. "It's a bit of a story. I'm pretty sure you don't wanna get interrupted."

The monk nodded. "I'll hold you to that."

Ayako sighed and looked at her watch. "Where's that medi –"

 _SCREECH!_

Every person in the vicinity cringed at the horrible sound.

"What the hell…?" Monk muttered and looked at the car that parked just right behind him. It was a white sedan and it looked pretty new. He looked through the wind shield; it was Masako, John and Yasuhara. He could see Yasuhara laughing like a monkey and Masako, as usual, covering her laughs with the sleeve of her kimono. John was looking very red and embarrassed. _Poor John._ He grinned at his thought.

John was the first to step out from the car. "I'm really sorry about that."

"Is that a new car, John-san?"

Monk's spirit momentarily left his body. Ever since they arrived at the hotel where their former boss was staying at, he hadn't seen the onmyouji. Suddenly hearing Lin's voice out of nowhere made him jump out of his skin. _This man is way too silent…_

John shook his head. "I just got the brake pads changed so…"

"Ah." Lin nodded in understanding. "I get that."

Yasuhara stepped out from the car and scanned the area. "Are we all ready? Where's Madoka-san?"

"She's still inside." Noll replied. He was leaning on a light post, looking ridiculously bored. "I asked her to book the same rooms for us when we get back."

"Naru."

The young scientist transferred his gaze to the medium. "Yes, Hara-san?"

"What will you do once you see Mai?"

Naru had to stop his train of thought for once. Just the thought of her made his heart race. He knew he left her with nothing but bad memories. He had outright rejected her even though she made it clear that she wasn't falling for his twin. He left her on the forest floor, telling her to not even bother with her feelings since he was flying back to England with his brother for good.

He really wasn't planning to come back. But his brother needed answers. And _he_ needed answers too.

"Check on her, of course." He replied in his usual Naru-like fashion. "Who knows what that idiot has gotten herself into, suddenly training to be a priestess."

Masako tilted her head to one side. "Then what?"

Naru raised an eyebrow at her question.

She was right. _Then, what?_

"Hey guys!"

 _Ridiculous._

"Madoka-san!" Yasuhara cried out in frustration. "We were about to hear Boss' confession plan when he finally sees our dear Mai-chan!"

Madoka's magenta eyes widened in excitement. "REALLY NOLL?!"

Naru simply sighed in response and moved his way back to their rental car. "Just get in the car. We're wasting time."

"Wait! OLIVER!"

…

"Eh?" Mai looked around and the kitchen and saw that their special table cloth was being used. "Akito-san?" Mai called out.

"Yes, Mai-sama?"

Mai turned around and found their chef. He was in his 40's yet he looked like he was no more than 30. Blonde hair, grey eyes, sharp nose and an angled face; he was definitely a looker. Plus, with all the lifting and cooking and whatever exercise he has done around the shrine, his body wasn't a joke either.

"Is someone coming over?" She asked. "The cloth is out."

Yamamoto Akito skillfully made his way over the long table whilst carrying numerous plates and utensils. "Yes, but we don't know who they are."

"They?"

"Lin-sama told me a few days ago that a group of people will be coming over." Akito said while setting the table. "He just told me this morning that the visitors will be arriving this evening."

"Eh?!" Mai started to panic. Whoever these group of people are, they had to be important. "Why didn't Lin-san say anything?!" She cried out in frustration.

She looked back to their resident chef. "Is the receiving room being arranged too, Akito-san?!"

Akito stopped his task and looked at their resident priestess. "Yes, Mai-sama."

"GAH!"

And just like that, their soon-to-be priestess stormed out of the kitchen.

Akito chuckled. She really was too cute sometimes. Maybe that's why Lin Wei teases her so much even during their training sessions. Today was one of those days.

One of Akito's assistant chefs popped his head out from the kitchen. He looked at Akito with amusement in his eyes. "Was that Mai-sama again?"

"Hai." Akito replied, resuming his task at the table.

"She's the only one who ever dares to shout around here even though she knows Lin-sama would scold her."

…

"FINALLY!" Ayako plopped on her bed and relished the feel of soft bed and silk sheets. "That was one hell of a road trip."

Houshou laid beside his wife, his eyes closed. "At least all you ever did was sit down…"

Ayako turned her head to look at her tired husband. He was right though. "I'm sorry," She said softly. "I know I promised to learn how to drive."

"Seriously," The monk replied still with his eyes closed. "I already told you, it's not a problem for me."

 _KNOCK KNOCK_

"Ayako?"

It was Masako.

Ayako resisted the urge to groan loudly.

" _His Highness_ wants us at the lobby right now."

She heard her husband snort. "At least she isn't the only one who's pissed at Naru." He muttered.

Ayako rolled her eyes. "Get up, Houshou."

…

"Airi!" Mai shouted from her closet.

Ogawa Airi, one of the servants in the shrine that is directly assigned to Mai and a close friend of hers, peeked into Mai's bedroom. "Mai-sama? Is something the matter?"

Hearing no response, Airi decided to step in. As soon as she stepped in though, an unidentified cloth was thrown directly to her face. "Ma – Mai-sama?!" She pulled the cloth away from her face… and saw disaster. Mai's clothes were strewn everywhere in the room. Whatever it was that she was looking for, had to be really important. "Mai-sama!" She called out again.

"Airi! In the bathroom!"

She made her way to Mai's bathroom, trying her best not to step on the clothes that were on the floor. As she got to the bathroom, she saw her charge sitting on the side of the bath tub looking really alarmed. "Mai-sama, what's wrong? Can I help you with something?"

Mai turned to her handmaid with wide and panicked-looking eyes. "Airi, I can't find my haori and hakama."

Airi's eyebrows rose. She knew where her hakama was, but she was not told that her charge was gonna use it tonight. "I know where it is. It's still in the laundry room although it's already pressed and folded so it's ready to be used again. Did you need it tonight?"

Suddenly, Mai's eyes lit up like Christmas lights. "YES!" She blurted out in happiness. Mai tackled Airi in a huge bear hug. "Thank you so much, Airi!"

"MAI!"

Both girls cringed. It was Lin Wei.

Mai sent Airi an apologetic smile and straightened her clothes. She stepped out of the bathroom and winced at the mess that was her bedroom. She will definitely be receiving an earful tonight.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lin's voice boomed in her room.

Just his voice made her feel like the room was closing in on her. She resisted the urge to shiver. Instead, she bowed low as a sign of apology. "I'm sorry, Lin-san." She started. "I panicked because I couldn't find my haori and hakama."

"What do you need them for?"

She kept her stance, hoping to at least ease her master's anger. "I was told that guests would be arriving tonight and that the receiving room was being arranged."

"It's good that you already know what to do." Lin started. "But please stop bringing your city habits to this shrine. Don't just run around the house shouting and looking like an absolute loon; actions that are absolutely unfit for a shrine priestess."

"I'm sorry." Mai apologized for the second time.

Lin's usually hard eyes softened at her apology. She really was so kind-hearted and sincere like her mother. "Stand straight, Mai."

Mai stood straight and bravely gazed at Lin's grey eyes.

 _Atta girl._

Lin was proud of the young girl in front of him. She used to be so clumsy and unrefined. It took him months to train her to walk in her priestess garments. She kept tripping whenever she wore them. And now here she is standing in front of him, poised and looking confident. Although sometimes, she gives in to her old habits and _sometimes_ he lets her get away with it. Like today. "Clean this mess up before the guests arrive." He saw her nod. "Airi,"

The servant straightened herself as she was called. "Yes, Lin-sama?"

"Get her clothes. Help her in it. You know how hopeless she is with that wardrobe. And get her hair done too."

Mai couldn't help but pout at that. Sometimes, her master sounded a lot like her former boss at SPR.

"Oh, and Mai?"

"Yes, Lin-san?"

Lin had to stop the urge to chuckle. The girl's pouting was too cute. "The moment you break any rules when you receive the guests tonight, you're cleaning the main shrine for a month."

Mai paled.

 _Who are these people anyway?! Are they the King and Queen of Egypt?!_

…

"Wow…" The redhead stared at the brightly lit shrine in front of her. Well-maintained bushes lined the pathway to the entrance of the shrine. In between the bushes were sakura trees, hanging lights placed on the branches. Hanging round lights also adorned the torii gate. The air around the shrine was very light and peaceful. She had never experienced this feeling of peacefulness when she visited old shrines before. This was the first time. "Everything here looks so alive…" She muttered under her breath.

Masako looked at the shrine that housed her best friend. "Peaceful, isn't it?"

"It definitely is." Gene had the same awed look as Ayako. "I'm not feeling anything else aside from the peaceful atmosphere."

"That's because there's a barrier surrounding the entire shrine compound."

Everyone turned their gaze to their silent companion, Lin Koujo.

Noll looked up, trying to see if he could at least manage to see even a thin film of the barrier that Lin was saying. "Is it magic?" He asked.

Lin nodded. "It definitely is." He turned to look at Gene and Masako. "The barrier is probably blocking the negative entities that are outside the shrine, that's why you're not sensing anything."

"Could the barrier be Taniyama-san's doing?" Gene asked, looking at his twin. "Hara-san did say that she's training to become a priestess."

Noll simply shook his head. "I can't say. I've known her to have psychic abilities that are almost the same as yours, but I've never seen the potential of her doing magic."

"Really guys," Yasuhara jumped in their conversation. "Are we seriously gonna talk about that barrier all night or are we going to go in and look for Mai?"

"I think it's best that we go now." Masako started moving forward, holding one of John's hands.

The team walked at a leisurely pace, knowing that eventually they'll reach their destination. After a few moments of walking, they finally reached the entrance. Just as Naru was about to reach the doorknob and open the door, the door itself opened.

What greeted them was something that they didn't really expect because honestly, they didn't know what to expect anyway… except for two people.

"Hi everyone," She spoke in such a melodious voice. Naru could never pinpoint in his memories of her, her voice being this calming.

"It's been a while."

There she was, the person that they've been looking for, standing in the middle of the room looking like what a renowned shrine priestess should look like.

Elegant.

Confident.

 _Breath-taking._

"Mai." Noll spoke first, his blue eyes penetrating to her brown ones.

Then she smiled.

"Naru."

 _Beautiful._

 **xxxxx**

 **I KNOW, I KNOW. I'M UPDATING QUITE QUICKLY. YES, YES.**

 **Really, this pairing just gives me the motivation to sit down all day and type an update… just for myself. It may be just me, but me imagining the scenes on what would happen next just makes my body tingle from excitement. I'm truly enjoying my holiday break, seriously.**

 **As always, honest reviews are appreciated! Sending all of you virtual hugs and cookies!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Pairing: Lin Koujo x Taniyama Mai**

I hope you guys will enjoy this one!

 **xxxxx**

 _It's… really her._

Gene couldn't find a reason to move his eyes away from the girl that was a few steps ahead of them, leading the group to the dining hall. He could clearly remember what his twin said about her: 'A simple high-school girl with an unconscious penchant for trouble.'

The girl was anything _but_ simple.

Her long and shiny brown locks that was tied into a high ponytail swayed to her graceful movements. Her perfectly upright posture made her aura feel regal. Her loose priestess garments covered most of her skin… except her long pale neck which looked absolutely flawless. What drew him to her though were her eyes. Yes, they were brown. Yes, brown eyes are definitely way common in Asians. But there was just _something_ about them; the moment her eyes met his, he could see her eyes twinkle with happiness. Her eyes were so bright and expressive.

'It's nice to see you doing well, Eugene-san.'

Were the first words she uttered to him. She just mesmerized him… _so damn much_.

He never would have noticed that they had arrived at the dining room if Mai hadn't spoken. "Take any seat you want," She said softly to the group. "Food will be served in a few minutes."

The setup of the dining room was very traditional and simple yet there was also a touch of modern taste. _Probably Taniyama-san's influence…_ Gene thought. A low, rectangular wooden table that could house 12 persons. Simple, round fluffy cushions serve as the seat for the table. On the middle of the long table was a table runner that had flower embroideries in it. The centerpiece was also eye-catching despite its simplicity. A clear long-necked vase stood at the middle of the table, it held only two types of flowers: alyssums surrounding a beautifully bloomed lily.

 _Purity. Beyond beauty._

Gene had to smile at that. The flowers perfectly symbolized their resident priestess.

He took the seat nearest to him which was the seat nearest to the door that they just came in. Noll took the cushion beside him and the others followed with Masako and John in front of them and Houshou and Ayako taking the empty cushions beside his twin. Madoka sat beside Ayako and Lin sat beside John.

Gene was pretty sure that Mai was taking the head of the table considering that she was the priestess but surprisingly, she took the cushion beside Lin – which confused him. "Taniyama-san," Gene spoke. "Aren't you gonna take the head of the table?" He asked.

Mai chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. "Lin-san sits there."

Now that name caught their attention… _especially_ the man sitting beside her.

Lin turned to the brunette sitting right beside him with curiosity burning in his grey eyes. "Who is this 'Lin-san'?"

They heard a shoji door open.

"Uhh, everyone," They heard Mai speak, but they didn't leave their eyes from the tall man who was still standing by the door and staring _intensely_ at Lin. "I'd like you to meet Lin Wei, my master. He's also Lin-san's elder brother."

He was _handsome_ ; grey eyes that held more intensity than Lin Koujo's indifferent ones. He smiled. A sudden pinprick of fear ran down their spines; there was a knowing look on his face.

This man was not to be messed with.

"Koujo. It's nice to see you again after all these years."

…

Dinner, in the first few minutes, was a slightly quiet affair, only disturbed by the monk and the redhead's usual daily teasing. Lin Wei said that he knew of their purpose in coming and that all will be answered after dinner. So, conversation was pretty light with Mai mostly listening in on the conversations.

Mai was not prepared for this sudden reunion. In all honesty, she may look pretty calm but deep inside her soul was burning to kill the man sitting at the head of the low table; Lin Wei. The damned man _knew all along_. He hinted at it a week ago! _A WEEK AGO!_ The man was both infuriating and insufferable! _One of these days, I'm shaving his damned hair. See what he's gonna do about it…_ The mere thought of her actually being able to shave the damned man's hair without his knowledge made her wanna burst out in laughter, but she couldn't do that. She simply kept her funny sadistic fascinations with a small smile.

She looked at the people that once were her everyday companions. It was no surprise to her that the monk and Ayako got together. From the moment they met in her previous school, they were always at each other's face, teasing and whatnot. There was never a day that Ayako would not raise her purse and hit the monk with it.

Yasuhara was still quite the jester; a handsome jester to be specific. When Mai met Yasuhara for the first time in the SPR, she did find him attractive. She just never gave enough attention to that thought since she was still quite invested with Naru at that time.

Masako and John… _meh_. They saw each other two weeks ago so she's pretty neutral about them.

Naru was… _Naru_. He was still that stone-faced yet ridiculously good-looking guy. His tongue was still sharp as knives and his choice of outfit never changed yet, she could see that he seemed to be a bit more lax than during those times he was still in search for his twin, Eugene. _Probably because the burden of finding Gene is already done and he's happy that he has his brother back…_

Eugene; she was honestly happy to see him doing well. When the group first stepped into the shrine, obviously passing through the barrier that she created, the aura that she recognized first was his. Then she started to recognize the other auras that accompanied him; it was the former SPR team. Eugene didn't have to say it, but it was kinda obvious how he didn't recognize her even though he personally walked into her dreams to help the team. She wouldn't blame him for that. Nonetheless, she was still very happy seeing Naru's twin alive and well.

Lastly, Lin Koujo.

 _THUMP THUMP_

Just his name makes her heart race a tad bit. It was probably because out of all the members, he was the only one who took the time to at least e-mail her once or twice a week and ask her how she was. Initially, he did say that he was concerned of her psychic powers, that if she ever needed help, she could e-mail him about it.

She really was touched with Lin's initiative, even though it was just about her powers, _at least_ he cared. Unlike that stone-faced fool who left her in the forest after he rejected so brutally. It was roughly on the 7th month of their correspondence that Mai's laptop – a gift from her teacher that she used to live with – got into an unfortunate accident. She was on her way to the public library when a kid on a skateboard suddenly rammed into her from the back. Thankfully the sidewalk that she was on was wide enough that when she toppled over didn't send her flying straight to the highway. She only got away with a few bruises and small cuts on her arms and face - all thanks to her laptop that cushioned the frontal part of her body. She thanked the people who helped her clean her little wounds and after receiving a lengthy apology from the kid, she got back to her trek to the public library. When she got there and finally sat down, she pulled out her laptop from the bag… and all she got was the keyboard. Her laptop was literally split into two.

She was so devastated that she couldn't concentrate on her homework. She could go to an internet café, but it was too expensive for her. She didn't wanna spend money on an internet café if she wasn't intending on staying for too long. Her phone got stolen a month prior too. She felt like crying. She decided to just go home and called it a day.

The months flew by and all she could ever think about was the Chinese man.

"Taniyama-san?"

She blinked a few times before finally realizing that the entire time her brain was flying to some old memories, she was looking at Lin.

And he was looking at her strangely like a second head popped up behind her.

 _Fuck_.

She felt her face heat up.

"Are you okay, Taniyama-san?"

She nodded and looked back to her food. "Sorry," She responded softly. "I was… kinda in space for a while there."

"Welcome back, astronaut."

She paused her movements and took a glance at the Chinese man who was gracefully sipping his soup.

 _Did he just crack a joke?_

Lin brought his spoon down and looked at her straight in the eye. "You know, that was the part where you're supposed to laugh."

"You, saying that, just lost its magic. I'm sorry."

He cracked the smallest of smiles and resumed to finishing his soup.

Just like that, Mai's night just became brighter.

"Everyone," Mai and the others brought their gazes to Lin Wei. "Once you are done, please head back to the receiving room." He folded his napkin back to the table and stood up. "I'll go ahead and wash up a bit. I'll be waiting there."

After receiving everyone's affirmative response, Lin bowed and left the dining room.

Yasuhara let out a very audible sigh. "Man, that guy is just _way_ too intense." He commented, rubbing his lower back. "For the first time in my life, seiza had never felt so painful."

"I don't mean to be rude," Monk looked at Lin Wei's younger brother, Lin Koujo. "But are you guys really siblings?"

Lin nodded. "He's actually the eldest among the 5 of us."

Most of the SPR members were a bit shocked at that information. Then again, Lin didn't really divulge any information about him. He was just a really private person.

"Are you like the 2nd or 3rd child, Lin-san?" Yasuhara asked.

 _The third child…_ Mai thought.

"Third." Lin answered. He folded his napkin and set it back to the table. "I think it's best that we all go back." He glanced at Mai who just also set her napkin back to the table. "Can you lead us back to the receiving room, Taniyama-san?"

"Hai." One thing she learned after years of wearing her priestess wardrobe was to try and make small movements, accommodating the dress. Mai was very aware of her track record of being… let's say _graceless_. Even if the surface that she was walking on was very flat, she'd just trip out of thin air.

She slowly gathered and bunched up some of her hakama to keep it away from her feet. Just as she was about to rise, at the corner of her eye, she noticed a hand reach out to her.

"Let me help you up, Taniyama-san."

 _BA-DUMP_

And there goes her heart.

Again.

Unable to find any words to say, she reached out with her own hand and placed it on his large hand.

It was warm.

 _Very warm_.

She could feel a blush creeping on to her cheeks. _STOP IT MAI!_ She had to chastise herself inwardly; really, she was so unprepared for all of this. The instant she placed pressure on his hand to lift herself up, she felt his hand close in on her own small hand and the man just effortlessly lifted her up in one swoop like she weighed nothing.

Too soon for her liking, he let go of her hand. "A – arigatou, Lin-san." She stuttered with an embarrassed smile. She couldn't find it in her to look straight to his eyes.

 _That's… odd._ Lin thought. He decided to just brush off that thought since Mai was pretty much an odd girl anyway.

"Please, lead the way."

…

"Mai."

Mai gulped and glanced at her mentor who was looking, as always, disinterested.

"Yes, Naru?"

"Gene here has been having dreams."

That piqued Mai's interest. "Are you on a case or something?" She asked. "That's what usually happens to me, you know. Is that why you're here?"

Before Naru could start explaining his situation to Mai, he decided to intervene. "No, Taniyama-san, we're not on a case."

"Just call me Mai," Mai said with a soft smile on her face. "My last name is too long; don't you think so?"

Gene just felt his own heart race. _That smile shouldn't be shown so carelessly._ "Then please, call me Gene, just like my brother and the rest of the people here." Finally, they were at least on friendly terms in Japanese culture. "As my brother was saying," He continued in a serious note. "I've been having dreams. The reason we're here, specifically looking for you, is because my dreams have been about you."

Mai's eyes widened at his statement. "Me?" She said in disbelief.

"If you don't mind, Eugene-san," John said in his usual sweet voice. "Would you mind telling us about these dreams?"

Gene nodded and started to tell his dreams to the group. The more he told his story, the more he could see the recognition on their faces.

"Those are our old cases." Monk said in an awed voice. "But Gene, you never told us that you didn't know who Mai was."

"And you didn't give us the impression that you didn't know us either." Ayako added, agreeing with her husband.

"Noll briefed me on who we were meeting up with and told me about your contributions to SPR." Gene answered. "I..." He paused, suddenly feeling nervous for what he was about to say. "At first, I didn't want you guys to know that I couldn't remember any of you. It… it felt wrong. You guys helped my family and brother so much, I felt like if I couldn't remember any of you, I'd be doing a huge disservice."

"We started tossing back theories when we heard of Gene's problem." Madoka finally spoke. "Apparently, it seemed like Gene could feel something inside of him that made him feel like he should know this person yet when he tries to remember, he comes up with a blank."

"Well, that's pretty weird, I have to say." Yasuhara commented, his fingers unconsciously fixing his glasses. "But at the same time, I don't find it _that_ weird considering he was in a coma when our cases happened."

"But why now?" Masako piped in. "Of all the days to start dreaming about your perspective in Mai's dreams, why now?"

"Brown-san."

Lin Wei's voice floated through everyone's ears like a boom box. They had almost forgotten that this tacit man was in the room with them. He was sitting just right behind Mai. "From what I've heard from Mai, you are a Catholic?"

John blinked. "Yes, I am."

"So, you do believe that God has plans for everything?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then maybe everyone shouldn't complicate Eugene's situation."

"What does that mean, Wei?"

 _And there goes another Lin._

Wei glanced at his younger brother. "It doesn't mean anything. I simply mean to not complicate Eugene's situation."

Lin's eyebrows furrowed. He was getting frustrated with his brother's answers. " _Exactly._ " Lin said in his clipped tone. "Why are we not supposed to complicate Gene's dreams?"

"Couldn't it be just as simple as Eugene's soul knowing Mai?" He transferred his indifferent gaze back to Eugene. "Throughout your comatose state, your soul only knew Mai. Your soul was in constant contact with hers; a living soul. Your dreams can mean a lot of things but the dreams that you'd been having are finished. It could mean nothing simply because your soul knows Mai, or it could mean that your soul is leading you back to her."

Something in John's mind clicked. "Do you mean that this might be some sort of divine intervention?"

"Maybe, or maybe not." Wei answered simply. "There are some occurrences in this world that even scientists can't explain. Some religious groups call it whatever they want and still, it is not enough to answer the question. So, sometimes it is best to not question something as long as it isn't harming the person."

Mai fought the urge to glare. It was _so_ like him to say something like that. The man never answered any of her questions. _This was harming her mental state!_

"So, we came here… for nothing." Ayako deadpanned.

"Not exactly." Wei replied.

Mai turned to look at her master, curiosity burning in her eyes. "Then what are they here for?"

Wei looked at her, mirth dancing in his steel grey eyes. "Aren't you happy that they're here?"

The brunette's eyes widened.

The two couples smiled at each other.

Yasuhara and Madoka grinned.

Naru and Lin smirked.

Gene stared at Mai.

"I…" Mai looked at the group in front of her. Just by looking at them, she didn't even need to second-guess her answer. "I am." She beamed. She had been wondering all these years what her SPR friends were doing. It was a bit hard for her to adjust again to new people but thankfully, the people in the shrine were very accommodating, even Lin Wei. She was happy, but just by looking at her SPR friends, it was different.

Her eyes travelled to the eldest of the former SPR group. Unconsciously, her eyes softened and as softly as she could, she said:

"I really am."

 **xxxxx**

 **And there you have it!**

 **Before anything else, let me just say:**

 **HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!**

 **Yes, it's 2018. I won't go for the "New year, new me" typa thing because seriously, I'm happy with the way I am right now.**

 **So yes, I don't know but I think this chapter was a tad bit – just a tad tad bit – lengthy than the previous chapters I've made so far. I hope you guys liked this chapter and as always, honest reviews are appreciated!**

 **Sending love and kisses to all of you!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Pairing: Lin Koujo x Taniyama Mai**

I hope you guys will enjoy this one!

 **xxxxx**

"Mai, how exactly did you meet Lin-san?"

They were now in one of the gardens in the shrine compound; the rose garden, to be specific. Various colors of roses could be seen in this garden. Even the rarest color, blue, was majestically blooming in the middle of the garden. The SPR group, minus Naru, Gene and Lin who were still inside the shrine together with Lin Wei, was sheltered under a huge tree.

Mai looked at Yasuhara and pursed her lips, trying to remember the exact details of their first meeting. "He went to my apartment, actually."

"Woah," Monk said in disbelief. "He knew where you lived?"

Mai laughed. "Crazy, isn't it? That man knows _almost_ everything!"

The spectacled man looked at the brunette with a grave look. "You better not tell me young lady that you just invited a man in your home."

"Of course, I didn't!" Mai responded vehemently. "Do you take me for a fool?!"

Houshou grinned ruffled Mai's hair affectionately. "Not a fool, just someone who's very kind-hearted."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, keep on sugar-coating everything."

"So, then?" Ayako prodded.

"Now that I think about it, it looked so funny." Unbeknownst to Mai, her brown eyes suddenly adapted to a faraway look and a small smile appeared on her features. "There was this ridiculously tall man in front of my doorstep, yet my instincts weren't screaming at me to close the door or run; it remained pretty neutral. He smiled – _actually smiled!_ – and started telling me that he was Lin Wei and that he was one of my mother's friends."

"Have you, uhh, you know…" Monk hesitated. He didn't wanna bring up old wounds especially when it comes to Mai.

Mai knew of the monk's inquiry and she smiled at his consideration. "You mean did my mom ever mention him when she was still alive?"

Monk smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah…"

"Honestly, I don't know. From what I remember, no, she hasn't. Or maybe she has, I just really don't remember." She shrugged. "I was still a kid so no, I don't remember."

"Please, continue Mai-chan." Yasu said.

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, so when I was about to ask him about my mother, he immediately said that he was hoping we'd meet up the next day on the address he wrote on the card that he gave me. I checked the address, it was actually the café right below the previous SPR office. I agreed, then he left." Seeing everyone's expectant gazes on her, she continued. "So fast forward to the next day, he was already there when I got in. And again, when he recognized me, _he smiled!_ "

The group found it really hilarious how Mai emphasized that her master was smiling at her. "Is it really a rare occurrence for Lin-san to smile at you though?" Masako asked, amusement laced in her voice.

"Actually, no," Mai admitted, glancing at her closest friend out of the group. "But ever since he started training me, he's been really strict about it. And honestly, my days here in the shrine are mostly filled with training sessions with him, not that I'm complaining."

"So, what did you guys talk about?"

This was the part that Mai was really nervous about. She was not sure whether to tell them or not mainly because the reason was mostly centered around her mother and Lin-san. Maybe if she told them that she couldn't possibly tell everything because of Lin-san's privacy then they might understand…

 _ZIP_

Mai's senses became alert. She sat up straight and looked behind her, opening her senses and trying to analyze the aura that just went through her barrier. She glanced at the medium beside her who was looking at her strangely. "Masako, what time is it?"

The medium checked her watch. "It's half past 9. Why?"

"No one should be here at this time of the night…" She mumbled softly. "Unless…"

"WEI~~!"

 _Fuck._

"Eh?" Ayako spoke behind her. "Were you expecting someone tonight, Mai?"

Mai sighed heavily, suddenly feeling a huge brick being placed on her shoulder. "No."

"So, who's that?" Yasuhara asked, sensing the change in Mai's mood.

Mai's eyes narrowed. The group instantly sensed her distaste towards the person that just shouted Lin Wei's name.

Mai remained silent, so Masako did the honors for her.

"Someone you don't wanna get associated with."

…

The moment the guys heard a _woman_ call for Wei, the room that they were in just suddenly felt a lot colder. They could see his indifferent mask instantly shift to a scowl. Obviously, whoever this woman was, Lin Wei didn't like her.

Lin looked at his older brother. "Someone's looking for you."

"Tomoe." Wei called, his voice clearly irate with the visitor.

"Hai, Lin-sama." Another deep voice echoed through the shoji door.

"Someone was behind the door the entire time?" Gene said with disbelief in his voice.

Naru looked at the younger Lin. "Did you know?"

Lin shook his head. "Probably their servant."

"Wei~!"

The _woman_ was getting closer to where they were. Lin Koujo was very curious. "Wei, who's that?"

Wei looked at the shoji door with utter hate.

"Some _whore_ has been trying to take me to her _repulsive_ bed."

Lin's eyebrows raised at that statement. He had never heard his brother say things like that towards other people, not even to a woman.

The shoji door opened with a resounding bang.

Every male in the room, except for Wei of course, looked at their new visitor. From her stance, the men knew that she was overly-confident. Over what, they didn't know. Her hair that was dyed a bright purple made her stand out more. To give her credit, she had an hourglass figure that was accentuated with the tight white dress she wore. Ridiculously high heels adorned her feet that made her look taller than she actually was. Her pale skin was unblemished and – _hold on, does she have glitters all over her body?_ Several golden bracelets decorated her arms. The total downside to this woman though, the moment she stepped in, the entire room immediately smelled like booze and cigarettes. Plus, her face was full of make-up!

The girl _completely_ disregarded the extra people and set her eyes on her true target: Lin Wei.

"Wei-kun~!"

 _AND SHE SOUNDS LIKE A DYING CAT._

She started walking towards Wei, a smirk on her bright red lips. "It's nice to see that your little dog isn't anywhere near you."

"I would suggest that you leave, Zhang Li." The woman stopped in her tracks. Wei's voice sounded really calm… and _angry_. "Are your ears actually functioning or are they just there for decoration?" He sneered at the woman.

The woman wasn't deterred by his hateful personality, but she had to stop her physical advance with the man. She can literally feel the man weaving his spells. "Seriously Wei," She said nonchalantly. "You just need a _really good night_. Then your awful personality will fly away!" She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world… _and it sounded really dumb._

"Zhang-san." Another stern female voice joined the heated exchanged between the two adults, and it was one voice that they all recognized: Mai.

Li's face changed instantly the moment she heard Mai's voice. She was not happy. The woman snarled at Mai's arrival. "I would appreciate it if you didn't join in an adult's conversation, _girl_." She sneered. She looked at Mai's companion. It was that damned white fox! Her shiki may be hot to boot but she wouldn't even dare. He was a demon for Christ's sake!

Mai tried her best to control the anger that was boiling within her. As much as she hated this Chinese woman and would do anything in the world to avoid her, she couldn't. Mai knew that even if her master would say no a million times, the woman would not relent. After a few encounters with her, it seemed that Zhang Li would somehow be more cautious when she was around. It was probably due to that one time… so Mai made it a point, no matter how much she hated her guts, she would always appear beside her master.

"I would appreciate it also if you didn't just barge in this shrine like this place isn't sacred." Mai clipped. She stood tall, her voice and stance radiating authority. She was the priestess of this shrine after all.

Naru, despite his stone-faced features, was impressed with Mai's patience. If it were him, he would've killed her with his words and literally drag her outside by her hair. But judging from the woman's persistence with Wei, he doubted his own strategy.

"Ha!" Li scoffed. "Look at you!" She looked at the stupid priestess that was always getting in the way of her plans. "Being all authoritative and shit! The audacity, seriously!"

Li turned back to Wei who was now standing and glaring at her… but she ignored all that. She was used to his coldness. She liked it like that anyway. "Wei, how many times do I have to tell you to dump this _bitch_ already!"

"You…" Gene clenched his fists. How dare this woman walk into this sacred place _and_ insult the priestess?! Who is she?!

Naru, Lin, and Wei's scowl seemed even more pronounced.

"She's just gonna use you!" The woman started flailing her hands like a crazy woman. "She's just gonna use you like how her _harlot_ of a mother did to you!"

Mai's eyes darkened.

Wei's eyes flashed dangerously. "Zhang." He said calmly, but the others could sense the anger brewing inside of him, ready to lash out. "Leave this shrine, and never come back." He said curtly. "This is my final warning."

Li was getting frustrated. After all these years, why hasn't it gone to his head that she was just trying to save him!? "Why can't you see me, Wei?!" Hot tears were starting crawl up to her eyes, but she didn't care. All she wanted was the little bitch gone and Wei by her side. "I'm just trying to save you!"

"If you wanted to help me, then please leave." Wei replied sharply. "I don't need you. I am where I need to be."

Li clenched her fists. She was not giving up. "You can't tell me you're having fun babysitting that whore's offspring?!"

Mai snapped.

What happened next was something that they will never forget.

A glowing pentagon that was emblazoned with ancient symbols appeared on the floor. It was glowing and pulsing a bright red.

And Zhang Li was standing in the middle of it.

The force of the magic was so strong that everyone in the vicinity flew back… except for the caster and the victim.

Naru groaned and hefted himself up with his right elbow. Thankfully he was near a wall so the impact on his back wasn't as strong, still, he could feel a slight discomfort in his body. His cerulean eyes were glued to the magic circle. The inner scientist in him rejoiced for seeing such a rare occurrence with magic yet, most of his thoughts were flying to the brunette who cast the spell. The magic circle she did was fairly large… and he could see Zhang Li struggling like her air was being forced out of her.

He looked at the younger Lin, who was looking quite shocked at the revelation as well. His elder companion was sitting with his back against the wall. "Lin. Do you know what that means?"

Lin shook his head. "I don't know but, I know it's not good."

"MAI!"

They heard the panicked voice of Wei. Yes, whatever this was, wasn't good.

Zhang Li could feel her power and air being drained from her. She was getting dizzy by the second. _Damn that girl!_ What has Wei been teaching her?! She knew the risks of forcing herself to Wei, but she wasn't expecting this kind of power from the girl. Black spots were starting to appear in her vision. _NO!_

Just as she was about to bring out her own powers, the magic circle around her disappeared. Without any support, she fell ungraciously towards the floor on all fours, breathing in air greedily. Her entire body felt like jelly. The damned girl was sapping away her powers!

Her vision was still kinda blurry, but she can make out the outlines of people. Right in front of her, she can see three people. One was slouched over, two of the outlines were holding and crouching in front of the slouched person. She instantly knew who they were.

Mai, Tomoe, and Wei.

Wei had cradled Mai into his arms while her shiki, Tomoe, had settled at glaring at her menacingly. She gulped. For the first time, she was scared.

"Zhang Li."

His deep, smooth voice shook her to her core.

"I will only say this once. Never, EVER, come back to this shrine again. The moment you do, I'm not stopping Mai from whatever she will do."

Zhang Li could only manage a shaky nod at his threat. She saw Wei pull the little girl closer… and that broke her heart.

"Tomoe."

The demon stood up and understood Lin's orders. "Hai, Lin-sama."

The other guys finally got a closer look at this 'Tomoe' character that Wei had been ordering around. This Tomoe character had good looks. Tomoe had silver-white hair that was cut short. His violet eyes were slanted like a fox. And this Tomoe character… had ears on his head that looked like fox ears.

Lin Koujo's eyes widened. At this point, he was already standing with Noll and Gene behind him. _Is this Taniyama-san's…_ He shook his head. He was curious, but he'll get answers eventually. First, they needed to get rid of this woman.

Tomoe would do the honors for that.

The familiar went to Li and roughly pulled her up by her arm so that she'd be standing on her own two feet. "He-hey!" Li stuttered and winced at the pressure on her arm. The stinking fox was trying to rip her arm to pieces! "The lady is leaving, okay?! Back it up!"

Tomoe scoffed. "You're no lady." He deadpanned. "Please, humor me." With that, he literally dragged the still struggling woman away from the group.

A few moments after, they heard the sound of a shoji door being banged against something and the sound a painful yelp.

Yep, she was literally thrown out from the shrine.

"Mai."

Hearing Mai's name, the three men snapped out of their inner thoughts and was instantly on Mai's side.

"Taniyama-san," Lin was the first one to break the silence.

Mai looked at the younger Lin, her brown eyes showing the strain that she was feeling. "Yes, Lin-san?" She managed to croak out.

"What you did was –"

"- amazing."

Lin smiled genuinely. "That too, but mostly, reckless."

"Thanks."

Naru flicked Mai's forehead gently, careful not to hurt her too much. "You know, if you're gonna pass out like this everything you cast a spell, I would suggest not doing it again. You're bothering other people."

It was _so_ like Naru to say that.

"Koujo." Wei looked at his little brother.

"Yes?"

Wei looked at the small form in his arms. "Take Mai to her room. Airi will show you the way."

Surprised at his brother's request, he simply nodded and easily lifted Mai.

"Koujo-sama."

Lin's spirit almost left his body and turned around to see a girl that was as tall as Mai looking at him expectantly. Where had this girl come from?! And judging from the twins' expression, he wasn't the only one thinking that too.

"Please, follow me."

Lin nodded and looked at Naru and Gene. "Wait for me outside."

The twins nodded and watched their silent companion walk away with Mai in his arms.

Gene felt a pinprick of pain in his heart but didn't dwell too much on it. There were other things in his mind that seemed to weigh more than what he was feeling.

Naru sighed and ran a hand through his raven locks. Tonight was very… interesting. He looked at his watch and it was 10-minutes away to 10 o'clock. Seriously, he felt like everything that happened tonight seemed to last like an hour yet, from the moment that hideous woman came in to Mai's magic circle to this, it only lasted for minutes.

"I suggest you retire for the night." Wei's voice got them out of their thoughts. "I assure you, more of your questions will be answered tomorrow."

The twins nodded and bowed in respect. "Thank you so much for having us, Lin-sama." Despite the interesting turn of events, Gene was still grateful for finally having met Mai. "We'll definitely come back tomorrow." He added.

"Will Mai be okay?" Naru asked the elder Lin.

 _You're already too late, young mister…_

Wei nodded. "It's my fault that she fainted." He admitted, surprising the twins. "But other than that, yes, she will be okay. I'll check on her tonight." Without waiting, Lin bowed at the twins and said his farewell.

Naru and Gene looked at each other.

There is still tomorrow.

Tomorrow, more questions will arise.

Tomorrow, more questions will be answered.

Hopefully, at the end of this trip, they would be able to get all the answers they needed from their brunette friend.

 **xxxxx**

 **YES, YES, YES. Updates are coming in quick because… WHY NOT, COCONUT.**

 **As always, thank you so much for the reviews! They are all very well-received! Here's some virtual kiss :* and some virtual hugs for you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

 **See you guys in the next chapter!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Pairing: Lin Koujo x Taniyama Mai**

I hope you guys will enjoy this one!

 **xxxxx**

Naru was _not_ pleased.

He deduced that it was better to go back to the shrine early and finish whatever business they have with Mai. What Naru overlooked was that Mai was living in the shrine; she was Izumo's resident priestess. Shrines are places in Japan that people go to just to pray.

And there was _A LOT_ of people.

Izumo Shrine is considered as one of the oldest shrines in Japan, so Japanese and tourists together, do make the effort and travel just to visit this shrine.

Plus, Mai was not available until afternoon since she was on duty in the prayer room.

Needless to say, he was _positively_ not a happy man.

Wei asked one of the servants of the shrine to give them a short tour so that they won't be – Wei's words – " _bored to death_ ". Naru didn't need the tour. He needed to see the brunette.

"Oi Big Boss," He heard Yasuhara behind him. "Okuninushi-sama might decide on making that sour face of yours permanent."

Naru kept his mouth shut. There really was no point in answering that. He might as well attempt to enjoy the tour. He hadn't appreciated so much of Japan years ago because of his search of his brother's body.

"Isn't this shrine dedicated to that God?" Gene joined in on the conversation, getting in step with Yasuhara.

Yasuhara nodded and habitually fixed his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "The God of Happiness. The God of Marriage."

"Masako. John." Ayako looked behind her and glanced at the couple that were the ones who probably enjoyed the impromptu tour. "Start praying." She smirked.

John suddenly choked on his own saliva.

Masako blushed.

"Mind your own business, _miko!_ " The medium retaliated, a prominent scowl on her doll-like features.

The group laughed.

…

They were now back in the receiving room, all waiting for Mai to finish her duty in the so-called "prayer room".

"Ayako-san," Yasuhara asked, playing with a small spoon in his hand. The group was served with Darjeeling tea, mochi, and dorayaki. "You're a self-proclaimed miko."

Ayako's eyes slightly twitched at his statement. "Yes." She said in a clipped tone.

"Do you have any idea then what's in the prayer room?"

The redhead blinked. She wasn't actually expecting that. She scanned the group and saw that everyone was looking at her expectantly. Even Lin was looking at her! Suddenly feeling nervous, she took her tea cup and sipped a bit to calm her nerves. "It is what it is, a prayer room. And from the name itself, yes, you sit in that room to pray. But that room isn't just for anybody. Only the priestess can get in, not even her familiars are allowed inside."

"So, what does the priestess do inside? Pray to the God?" John asked, completely curious about the topic.

Ayako nodded. "The priestess prays to the God to answer the prayers of the people asking for help. Personally, I've never been in a prayer room before, but I've heard from a friend of mine who was a resident priestess in Fushimi Inari Shrine that it's probably one of the hardest duties to do."

"Is it because you pray for hours?" Her husband asked. "Not to brag or what but while I was training in Mt. Koya, we had to pray outside the monastery with extreme weather conditions for hours."

"I can't really say anything about that since I've never experienced praying for hours but," Ayako took a mochi and placed it on her small plate. "She said that it takes a lot of focus and will. It's like sacrificing your entire being just so that God can hear your pleas to answer the prayers of the people who need their help. You're never allowed to waver in your prayer."

"That sounds a lot like John's religion," Masako looked at her boyfriend who seemed to be enjoying the mochi. "Isn't that right?"

The blonde nodded while wiping his mouth with the provided tissue. "Yes, we do have to immerse ourselves, get our mental and physical state ready for prayer."

Just then, they heard a shoji door open.

It was Mai in her priestess wardrobe.

"Hi guys!" She beamed but her voice seemed breathy and there were still beads of sweat on her forehead. The brightness in her brown orbs seemed to have dimmed a bit but it was still there. "Did you wait long?" She took an empty cushion that was in between Naru and Lin. "I couldn't skip duties today. Sorry about that."

"You're already a priestess yet, you still have that ridiculous habit of finding a way to skip work." Naru smirked in his tea cup. It was so natural for him to tease the brunette.

Mai glared at Naru's direction. As annoying as he can be, she did miss his half-hearted insults… well, he did dish out insults that were pointedly true. That's why she was always so annoyed when he insulted her. An idea popped in her head. It's risky but she doesn't care anymore. She missed annoying his narcissistic ass anyway. "Really Naru!" She smiled cheekily, hoping that she had pulled her most innocent face.

This is it.

 _This is gonna be gold_.

She scooted closer to Naru.

Naru eyed her suspiciously.

"Mai." Naru warned.

If it were possible, Mai's grin seemed to grow.

"What~?" She replied in a sing-song tone.

Whatever Naru was about to say, it just died in his throat.

The brunette was _hugging_ him!

Her proximity made his entire body flush in heat and embarrassment. He could feel her warmth seep through his button-down shirt. Her strawberry-scented shampoo wafted through his nostrils which oddly made him feel content.

The others laughed at Mai's boldness.

Gene's smile was strained.

Lin was just… Lin. Emotionless.

"MAI!" Naru shouted indignantly. He knew that he was supposed to shake her off or at least tell her to let go of him yet, he couldn't do it.

Mai retracted her arms and once again beamed at the young scientist. She felt a sense of satisfaction flow through her seeing the iron-willed Oliver Davis look all mortified. The man always had a witty comeback whenever she fought back. She's pretty sure Naru will forever hold her to this moment and will probably find a way to get back at her while he's still here in Japan but for now, she's just gonna soak her winning glory.

In that short moment, Mai knew that she had finally moved on from Naru. Her heart didn't miss a beat and she wasn't feeling all flustered unlike before. All that was left in her was just the feeling of friendship towards the young scientist.

"Our dear Mai is getting bolder, Houshou." Ayako sniggered behind her handkerchief.

Mai glared playfully at her friends. "Is it so bad to hug a friend after all these years?"

Naru was starting to feel irritated. He didn't like the sound of being just a friend.

"Ojou?"

A deep voice floated through the shoji door.

Mai turned towards the door. "Tomoe, come in."

Slowly, the door opened and revealed Tomoe carrying a letter. Tomoe's violet eyes scanned the room before finally settling it on the resident priestess. "It's a letter for you, Ojou-san." He placed the letter on the floor and slid it forward. "I think it's another job." He added.

"Eh…" She stood up from her cushion and took the letter, inspecting the envelope. "It's blank." She commented. "Where did you get this, Tomoe?"

"It was just lying on the front door, Ojou." He replied monotonously. "I've already checked the letter, it's not enchanted or laced with anything malicious."

The brunette will be forever grateful to her familiars. "Thank you, Tomoe. I'll read it later."

"Is that a job, Mai?"

Mai looked up and saw her teacher walking towards them. "I haven't read it yet but, Tomoe thinks it is." She replied, giving the letter to Wei knowing that she still wouldn't be able to partake on any jobs without Wei's permission.

Wei gave a signal to Tomoe, to which he responded with a curt nod and left.

Mai took that as a signal to get back to her place and be ready again for another round of interrogation from her friends.

"Noll." She heard her instructor while she was settling herself back on her cushion. "You look like you've been scandalized."

Snickers and snorts were heard. Mai was grinning like the sun and Naru was glaring daggers at her. That got Wei's attention. "Would it be too invasive to ask what happened, Oliver?" Wei sat in between John and Yasuhara.

Both suspects refused to answer, most especially Oliver who just looked like his mouth was glued shut.

"I just gave Naru a hug. Is it so bad?" Mai crossed her arms.

"Oh? Is that so?" Wei casually picked up a mochi and poured tea for himself. "I thought you liked Koujo."

Mai seriously felt like she was gonna have a heart attack.

…

"Oh. So, you and Mai's mother were actually university buddies then?"

The tension inside the room has finally dissipated although Wei was pretty sure that some of Mai's friends will probably question his young apprentice later. That wasn't his problem anymore. He sent his student to clean the gardens right after his – _ahem_ – what did Mai say? Oh. His _blatant ignorance of teenage feelings_ – was what Mai said. He had to scoff at her words. She wasn't a teenager anymore. Seriously, that girl. "There were 4 of us actually. Mai's father, Gin, and Aika's best friend, Hanae."

"So, when Mai's mother passed away, she left Mai to you?" The redhead asked. The group was finally getting some sort of background on Mai's family. The young girl never really remembered a lot considering she was so young when both her parents passed away.

Wei shook his head. "She left Mai's training to me."

"Is it safe to assume then, Lin-sama, that Mai's parents were also psychic?" Gene was already sitting casually in his cushion, his legs crossed, and his head propped on his hand for support.

Wei casually stirred his tea. "Gin is actually a descendant from the Augury witches."

Shocked gasps were heard. "Augury, you say?" Noll had his 'thinking pose' on; his index finger and thumb on his chin and his arm propped on his right knee. "And does he practice augury?" Noll asked, truly curious about Mai's parents.

The older Lin nodded. "He's very good at his readings. He was taught by his grandfather who has never once failed. Because of that, the name of his grandfather moved not only in his town but to other places in Japan and to the ears of foreigners."

Another round of surprised expressions left the group, but Masako sat still in her cushion, her eyebrows wrinkling in deep thought. She may have heard about the man, but wasn't exactly sure if she'd met him personally or not. She'd been to thousands of paranormal conferences ever since she was really young. "Lin-sama," Seeing Wei acknowledge her, she decided to continue knowing that the man wasn't one for a lot of words. "This person you're talking about… is he a reclusive man?"

"That, he is. Have you seen him, Hara-san?"

The medium shook her pretty head. "I've once accompanied my parents to a social gathering in England. There was a lot of talk about this old man who was rumored to have predicted the kidnapping of the daughter of Princess Masako, Princess Aiko."

"Eh?" The redhead pushed her hair to her back, gazing at Masako intensely. "But that never happened. There wasn't a single report about any attempts on kidnapping on the family."

"Unless, it has been prevented." Yasuhara butted in, his glasses glinting with a small shift of his head. "If Gin-san's grandfather had read the signs correctly, then he must have told the imperial family about it and prevented the kidnapping."

Houshou and Gene nodded, both agreeing to Yasuhara's explanation. "There has been a lot of attempts to enter the imperial palace but there was no specific reason as to why the attempts were made." The monk added. "All the reports ended with the trespassers sent to jail and be placed under high security for 10 years."

"Does Gin-san do readings for a living, Lin-sama?" John asked this time.

"No. He was a detective." He poured another cup of tea. "He knew the consequences of people knowing his ability. That's why his grandfather chose to live in silence, away from people."

"And Mai's mother, Aika-san, was it? Did she possess any ability?" Ayako asked.

"PK-LT." Wei answered briefly.

Houshou whistled in awe. "Jou-chan's parents are seriously talented."

Wei nodded in approval. "She had the ability to make plants grow faster than its normal rate."

Just as another question was supposed to be raised, they heard another series of soft knocks. "Mai, let her in." Wei said in his neutral voice.

A few eyebrows suddenly raised at his statement. Has Mai been outside the door the entire time?

The doors opened.

It was Mori Madoka.

"Hi everyone!" She chirped happily. She took Mai's previous seat and acknowledged Wei with a bow. "I'm sorry for my tardiness, Lin-sama." Madoka spoke politely.

Again, the elder Lin had no expression on his face, but he simply responded with a nod. He settled his gaze back on the brunette who was still standing by the shoji doors. "Why are you still standing over there, Mai?"

"I just thought I could get you guys something…"

Yasuhara suddenly remembered what the elder Lin said earlier and smirked. "Or maybe you just wanted to take a peek –"

"Go back to the gardens and do your work."

Yasuhara instantly shut his mouth after hearing the rigid voice of Lin Wei.

The brunette scowled at her mentor and shut the door with more force than necessary, her heavy footsteps echoing inside the room.

The young Lin sighed. His brother can be too stifling sometimes. "Wei, she was just being nice."

Wei simply sipped at his steaming tea.

Lin just had to fight the urge to smack his brother at the back of his head.

"We've been to the gardens yesterday," Madoka broke the strained silence. "Maybe it'd be nice to continue the conversation there?" She suggested, her magenta orbs twinkling with excitement.

"That's doable." Wei acknowledged. "Leave the cups."

The pink-haired woman couldn't help but smirk.

 _SUCCESS!_

…

Ever since living with Lin Wei, Mai had learned to calm herself down by being with nature. She felt too suffocated whenever she was in her room. She didn't wanna bother Airi even though she had offered countless of times. She knew not to run away from the shrine for fear of the punishment she might receive from her mentor.

She sighed heavily and squeezed her eyes shut, not allowing the hot tears to fall.

 _Damn that man…_

How could he say those words in front of her friends?

In front of _him_.

She slapped both her cheeks real hard, trying her best to snap out of her funk. She might not be able to fool that over-sized man doll – yes, we're talking about Lin Wei – but she might at least fool the others. She had to step up her acting game though. She wasn't really concerned about the Davis twins. She was more uneasy of the thought of Mori Madoka knowing. Those eyes of hers weren't just pretty.

"Mai-sama?"

She turned and instantly saw the anxious face of one of her close friends in the shrine, Airi. Worry wormed inside her heart. "Airi, what's wrong?"

"I'm supposed to ask you that, Mai-sama."

Mai blinked, not expecting that answer. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

Airi smiled at her young charge. For Mai's intelligence, she sometimes doesn't notice the things that she constantly does whenever she's in a certain mood. "You're here in the pot garden."

"Well, yes." Mai answered, unsure of what Airi was trying to say. "I like it here."

"You like it here whenever you're angry or upset."

Mai sighed and turned her gaze back to the now reddening sky. "I'll be fine, Airi." She reassured her friend. "I always bounce back, you know that."

Airi peered at her young charge. She could not clearly remember when Mai entered the shrine – was it 2 or 3 years ago? – but she used to be so uncontrolled and temperamental. During the first two months of her stay, the shrine was always rained down with Mai's bouts of shrieks and it always stemmed from her frustration with her mentor, Lin Wei.

Now, looking at her, Mai had definitely changed. Her lustrous brown locks were longer, almost reaching her concealed yet definitely existent curvy waist. Her skin, although was clear when she came years ago, seemed to be glowing at every turn she took. When people see her, they all become captivated with just her beauty alone. Her movements, used to be very erratic, were now all slow yet graceful and sometimes calculated. The young lady had to practice wearing her priestess wardrobe without constantly tripping or slipping every minute. She knew she was… _naturally uncoordinated_.

The one thing that didn't change about her, and Airi would definitely brag about it, was her heart. So big, so loving… the girl would definitely let herself bleed just to make everyone happy. It's such a dangerous thing yet at the same time it amazes her that someone who's young and innocent as her could turn a blind eye to the faults and mistakes of people and understand their circumstance. No one could ever hate Taniyama Mai.

While Airi was doing a lot of thinking about her charge, Mai was also in her own world. Right after her trail of thought earlier, she had finally decided that nothing was ever gonna change. Her mentor was truly smart; she could vouch for that. The man was just simply… _shortsighted_ when it comes to feelings. She didn't know why though like, the man used to be in love with her mother! What the hell is up with the stupidity?!

She shook her head, trying her best to quell the negative thoughts starting to arise. She'll deal with her mentor when the time is right.

Still… how did that man know she had feelings for his younger brother?

"Taniyama-san?"

Mai couldn't help but stiffen at the sound of _his_ voice. She would know that voice anywhere, even in the midst of cacophonies of people… she would always hear him.

 _Ah crap. I wasn't ready yet._

She turned and smiled at her guest. "Lin-san." She uttered softly.

And for a moment, she saw something in Lin's grey eyes. She wasn't sure what it was, but it made her extremely skittish. She knew that Lin Koujo wasn't one for statements that weren't warranted to be true but his brother wasn't one for jokes or lies either. Wei told her before that they haven't seen or heard from each other for years ever since Lin flew to England for BSPR so the only consolation Mai could have for today was that the young Lin would _at the tiniest bit_ believe that elder brother had lightened up over the years and that the thing he said earlier was just a joke.

"Wei wants you to come back inside." His eyes were back to its usual indifferent look. This man is truly hard to read.

Mai turned her gaze to Airi. "Airi, you should go back and help the others for dinner."

Airi nodded with a soft smile on her face. "Is there anything specific you want for dinner, Mai-sama?"

"None at all. Just whatever is on the menu for tonight, Airi."

With a smile and a bow, Airi left the gardens.

"You're treated like a princess in this shrine, Taniyama-san."

Mai couldn't help but chuckle at his words. "It's hard to feel like a princess when your brother seems to enjoy harassing me." As she peered at the tall man in front of her, she could see a hint of a smile adorning his face. He was just ridiculously handsome.

"Shall we go back?" He offered, that hint of smile still on his face. "I think you know how impatient my brother can be."

She rolled her eyes. Oh, she damn well knows about that. "He sent me here to do some work. He can wait."

"So standing and staring at the sky is considered working?"

"I've done a lot of cleaning last week."

Lin smirked and decided to just let it slide. "Yes yes, Princess."

Mai started to move, seriously not wanting to let her mentor wait and extend her cleaning duties for the week. But what she did not expect though was the warm hand that had settled onto the center of her back. She looked at the tall man - _why am I not reaching his shoulders?!_ – who surprisingly had a gentle look on his features.

"Wouldn't want the beautiful princess to trip, right?"

Her body suddenly felt like jell-o and her face was heating up pretty fast to whatever degrees.

 _What is this man doing to me…_

 **xxxxx**

 **And there you have it! Chapter 6!**

 **I know, took a few months for me to update… AGAIN. Work just sucks my entire life force. I'm so sorry. And I think this chapter was a bit boring. But it's okay. We'll definitely get to the –** _ **ahem**_ **– juicy parts.**

 **But anyway,**

 **To all those who reviewed and placed my story under their favorites, thank you so much! You guys are the reason why I try my very best.**

 **See you guys in the next chapter!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Pairing: Lin Koujo x Taniyama Mai**

I hope you guys will enjoy this one!

 **xxxxx**

"Mai. I'm honestly offended." Yasuhara deadpanned, glaring at the brunette in front of him.

She didn't know how it happened but earlier, she was having a light conversation with Lin Koujo, his large hand still settled at the center of her back. Next thing she knew, she was whisked away by Osamu Yasuhara who was sputtering gibberish excuses. She said a hasty goodbye to the tall man who was looking at them with an unreadable expression.

Mai rolled her eyes. "You're offended?" She said incredulously. "What about me? What about Lin-san?"

"Relax!" Yasuhara ushered her forward. "I know why you're with Lin-san." He smirked at the brunette who instantly blushed in response.

He was _baiting_ her!

Mai kept her mouth shut, not wanting to rise to Yasuhara's teasing. She might end up losing her cool and say some things she might not be able to take back. She didn't want anyone knowing about her crush!

Yasuhara couldn't help but grin a bit wider. The fact that Mai was refusing him was a big sign! SHE REALLY WAS INTO LIN KOUJO! Oh, Madoka is gonna pay big time!

Finally seeing the door to Lin Wei's study made Mai feel better. "Oh, and Mai?"

Mai sighed. He wasn't letting it go. "What is it?"

"I'm glad to finally see you after all these years." Yasuhara smiled down at Mai who was looking at him with a shocked look. "I'm happy to see you doing well here in the shrine, a practicing priestess, no less."

Heart swelling with happiness and eyes moistening with incoming happy tears, the brunette couldn't help but hug him. She felt Yasuhara circle his arms around her and return her crushing hug. "Thank you…" She muttered, her voice muffled by his shirt. "I've missed you all so much…"

"We missed you too." Yasuhara patted Mai's head softly and stepped back just a little, prompting Mai to release him from her hug. "Now, I don't think it's good to let Lin-sama wait." His usual lighthearted tone was back.

The girl chuckled. "Definitely true. I should go ahead. You remember the way to the dining room, right?"

"Why, of course! It's a good thing that I'm not you!" He received a weak slap on his forearm and saw Mai stomping her way towards Lin's study.

"I hope you get lost!"

Yasuhara's laughter echoed along the hallway.

…

Dinner for the second time with the former SPR members was something she would definitely remember. Ayako and Bou-san constantly shouting insults at each other, John, Masako and Madoka were talking and living in their own little world, Yasuhara, Gene and her cracking jokes and laughing, and Lin, Naru and Wei were all casually ignoring the ruckus beside them. It was such a miracle though because Wei just sat there, tolerating all their bad habits while on dinner. The man was an absolute stickler for manners. Mai dreaded this though. Will she be punished at a later date for behaving so badly during dinner?

….

She shrugged inwardly. Her friends were here, surely he wouldn't begrudge her with –

"If I may have your attention, please."

Lin Wei's deep and commanding voice immediately ceased the loud buzzing in the dining room.

"Mai just received a job earlier."

The said woman looked down at her plate, not wanting to see the sidelong glances her friends were making.

"It's to capture the fox spirit that has been luring both young men and women at night."

A collective gasp was heard.

"Were there any reported injuries, Lin-sama?" Gene asked, his tone turning serious. Fox spirits were mischievous spirits and had the ability to transform into whatever form that they want. In other countries, they were called Shapeshifters. One can never tell the intentions of a fox spirit unless you have the ability to communicate with them.

"No. Actually, all those who were reportedly captured are alive and well. They were all found a day after their disappearance with no injuries, their clothes, albeit dirty and messy, were still intact. What's concerning the monk that requested this job is that the victims have no memories of what happened three days before they were captured."

The monk's eyebrows wrinkled in displeasure. "That's not a good thing." He commented. "They were only missing for a night, right? Yet, they don't remember a thing they did days before?"

"Fox spirits are naturally strong spirits considering they could take the shape of any being here on Earth." Madoka said in a business-like tone. "What concerns us is the appearance of this fox spirit."

"More specifically, the number of tails this fox spirit has." Lin added.

"The more tails, the stronger it is." Naru supplied.

"True." Masako agreed whole-heartedly. She looked at Mai who was staring wide-eyed at the group. "I think Tomoe-san won't be happy that you'll be having another familiar, Mai."

Mai smiled at the medium. "I think it'll be good for him to develop his social skills, honestly."

"Is this 'Tomoe-san' the white-haired guy?" Seeing Mai nod in response, he became more interested. He was seeing a familiar in the flesh! "Why can I see him?"

"Tomoe himself is an incredibly strong fox spirit." Mai explained, a small smile plastered on her face. "So even without my help, he can manifest himself to our plane whenever he pleases."

"Now that I think about it, how exactly did you manage to find your fox familiar, Mai?" Ayako asked, her brown eyes boring into hers.

"That is a story for another time, Matsuzaki-san."

Everyone in the table noticed how Mai's smile turned into a strained one. Masako, who was sitting right beside Mai, placed an elegant hand on top of Mai's and squeezed it reassuringly. Mai beamed at her black-haired best friend and resumed finishing her dinner.

"I'm expecting all of you here by 8AM tomorrow."

Monk and Ayako choked.

Yasuhara and Madoka high-fived.

Gene beamed.

Naru had a faraway look in his eyes.

John and Masako simply smiled.

Lin and Mai sighed.

 _This is gonna be a disaster._

…

"Seriously, did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Mai whispered to the pinkette beside her who was eyeing the sulking Davis twin with mirth in her eyes.

Madoka shook her head and patted Mai on her head. "Don't worry about him, Mai-chan!"

"Noll is just being his selfish self."

The brunette instantly turned to the direction of Eugene's voice. "Lin-sama didn't want Noll to bring cameras for documentation."

Mai chuckled. "I should've known. He didn't get his wishes by pure logic?"

"Oh, he tried," A smirk started to appear on Gene's handsome features. "Lin-sama just wasn't having it. And I quote 'I don't care what your scientific brains think, Oliver. And don't bother hiding it. My shiki would know.'"

Mai couldn't help but laugh.

"Mai. You're too loud."

Years of dealing with Lin Wei's harsh punishments made Mai an expert to instantly keep her mouth shut and not talk back.

"The priest and the medium?" Wei asked, eyeing the group.

"Hara-san wasn't feeling well when she woke up this morning." Lin said. "Brown-san stayed with her."

Wei nodded and turned to his young student. "Are you ready, Mai?"

Mai turned to her instructor, determination in her sparkly brown eyes. "Hai, Lin-san."

"Oooooh~."

Yasuhara's teasing voice floated in her ears and it made her eyebrows twitch. What the hell is that dude thinking again? She kept her gaze on her instructor, not wanting to miss any instructions he might give her. She'll deal with the prankster later.

"What do you think he's gonna do?"

Madoka's voice was clear as day on her even though she was whispering. WHAT WERE THEY PLOTTING?

"Everyone," She snapped out of her musings, honing on her instructor's voice. "Hold on to someone."

A second later, she felt a large and rough hand slide into her left hand.

"Watch over Mai, Koujo. You know how she is."

With wide eyes and palpitating breath, she braved a look at their joined hands that oddly felt like a perfectly pieced puzzle. His hands were so warm –

"Are you okay, Taniyama-san?"

She saw his worried grey eyes. _Damn, I should really focus…_ She nodded briskly and looked away, trying to fight the blush that was definitely making its way to her cheeks. _Focus on the job, focus on the job, focus on the job…_

"Whenever you're ready, Mai." Wei spoke, his intense grey eyes locking onto her warm brown orbs.

In all honesty, Mai was nervous. She'd never gone on a job without her instructor even when he deemed her capable of doing simple jobs on her own. Wei was always there even when she did all the job. He was always there to support her even though he'd just stand like a goddamned tree and not speak. His mere presence made her feel like someone was always watching over her, someone to catch her back when if she would end up screwing up.

She actually argued with the man night before, not understanding why he wasn't coming. He told her that her former SPR team were more than enough to back her up if she ended up botching the capture of the fox spirit. Strangely enough, she was sorta feeling some separation anxiety. 3 years may not sound that long but she had enjoyed and learned to love Wei, her familiars and the rest of the people working in the shrine. They were there wherever she went. Now… she was reluctant to leave even if the job could be completed in half a day.

"Ojou-sama."

Her eyes strayed to her handsome familiar who was looking at her with a gentle smile on his face. He was her closest familiar, yet he wasn't coming too! "When you come back, I'll prepare your favorite bath for you. I'll ask the cook to prepare your favorite meal and dessert."

Mai couldn't help but grin. Tomoe always knew how to make her feel better. "I'll hold you to that, Tomoe."

She stood straighter this time, squeezed Lin's hand for assurance, and turned her gaze to her friends that were waiting patiently. "Everyone," She started. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I say so."

"Aww," Yasuhara pouted but still followed Mai's instructions. "We can't get to see you in action?"

"Unless you wanna be blind, then be my guest."

Not a single word was uttered right after that.

A few seconds ticked by, they all suddenly felt a cold gush of wind swirl around them and a tingling sensation coming from their heads that felt like electricity and slowly spreading through their bodies.

In a blink of an eye, the group was gone.

"You think it was wise to let Ojou-sama go on her own?"

"You baby her too much, Tomoe."

Tomoe frowned at that. "Aren't you at least worried?"

"She's an adult."

"You didn't really answer my question, Lin-sama."

The Chinese sorcerer simply turned and walked away.

Just when Tomoe was about to head off to the other direction to water the garden that Mai was dutifully working on, he heard Wei speak.

"Tomoe, tell the cooks to buy the ingredients for Mai's favorites. We both know she's annoying when she's whining."

The kitsune couldn't help but smile at that.

 _So he does worry…_

…

Naru kept his senses high considering that he couldn't see anything. The scent of flowers was really strong. Even without looking, he can somehow guess that the land he was standing seemed to be a bit softer. He can hear the chirping of birds and the soft rustle of leaves.

"You can open your eyes now."

Naru opened his eyes slowly, not wanting to get blinded by the probably onslaught of light from the sun. What he saw first was huge bed of pink flowers. He knelt and examined the flower in front of him. "Are these Camellia's?"

"That's what the owner said."

Oliver Davis, the master of 'I am not shocked by anything because I know _almost_ everything', felt immensely proud of himself for not looking the least shocked by Mai's sudden closeness… and he can smell her signature strawberry scent too.

"You know the owner, Mai?"

Seeing Mai back up and talk with Yasuhara and Madoka gave him the opportunity to slow his heart rate and keep his usual blank façade in place. It wouldn't do any good for the others to see him slipping up and tease him endlessly about it.

"I'm honestly wondering how far we are." His twin's voice floated in his ears. He looked at Gene who was gazing at Mai with astonishment in his eyes. "I mean, look at her. She's not exhausted!"

"That's because she's not using her psychic abilities, Gene."

This time, the twins twisted to look at their former guardian, Lin Koujo. Sensing that Noll was about to ask a question, he intercepted him first. "I know that you have questions but that will have to wait. Mai has a job to do."

With that, the twins joined the noisy group and followed Mai's trek that lead into the woods itself.

Monk, noticing their trail, grew a bit anxious. "Mai, are you sure this is where we're supposed to go?"

"The tree spirits are glad that you're here, Mai." Ayako commented, in awe at the living trees. "You've been here before?"

"I actually don't sense anything." Gene added, looking around the forest.

Mai nodded and gazed at the trees with a soft look. "Lin-san would always send me here whenever he decides to banish me from the shrine."

"Banish you?" Madoka said incredulously. "That sounds quite harsh. What did you do anyway?"

"Let me guess," Yasuhara snapped his fingers. "You run wild."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Define 'wild'."

Naru, not being able to stop himself at that question, answered instead. "Not listening to orders and running off even when told to stay put."

"Noll!" Gene elbowed his twin.

The brunette merely laughed at her former boss' response. "It's okay, Gene. I really was like that before."

"Correction," Yasuhara interjected. "You _still_ are like that."

Laughter echoed around the forest, the group falling into several discussions. Lin, who was as always falling behind the group and watching over them, kept an eye out for anything suspicious and asked one of his shikis to scout the area for a fox spirit. They've been walking for a few minutes now yet the one who's supposed to finish the job seemed to be pretty busy. It was such an enigma to him how his brother managed to handle this girl who seemed to have so much energy in a little body.

Looking back, when Mai had stopped replying to his emails, he became worried. Mai had started opening up to him how sleep for her was becoming few and far between due to her psychic 'death' dreams haunting her everyday. After reading her email, he immediately wrote up a reply telling her to see a monk whom he personally knew that could help with her dreams.

He hadn't heard from her since.

And finally seeing her, standing and looking at him with those bright brown eyes, just made something inside him tingle. _Attraction_ – was what he first thought. He liked the way how her hair just naturally moves with every step. He liked how her voice seemed to calm his nerves; just hearing her talk made him feel reassured that she was okay and that her dreams weren't haunting her. He liked how her strawberry scent made him feel like he was where he's supposed to be – _home_. He liked how –

"The fox spirit isn't happy."

Lin was miffed – speaking more for himself. He got totally lost in his own thoughts.

"What should we do then?" Yasuhara asked, keeping his eyes open for any suspicious movements.

"More importantly, where's the fox spirit?" Naru stared at the brunette who was oddly staring really hard at a bark of a random tree.

Mai did not answer.

"Mai-chan?" Madoka called.

As an answer, Mai turned to the group, her brown eyes set in a determined look. "I know you guys wanna come with me – "

"We ARE going with you, Mai." Lin towered over the young girl, a piercing glare set in his eyes. "You are not allowed to tell us that you're going alone and capture this spirit that could possibly harm you."

She suppressed a shiver. The man could be intimidating when he wanted to be. "I know!" Mai rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to say something so listen." Not hearing another word, she continued. "The fox spirit knows why we're here and is actually more than willing to come out. He's just a little… shy."

"Shy?" Gene asked, disbelief lacing his voice. "Mai, you're probably forgetting that this is a fox spirit you're facing. They're known for tricking people."

Mai smiled sympathetically at Gene. "Tomoe hasn't tricked you or the others, right?" She took his hand and squeezed it, hoping that Gene will understand her. "I know that this spirit won't trick us."

Naru's eyes narrowed at the sight of Mai holding his twins' hand but he immediately recovered. "Is that your instinct talking, Mai?" He asked the brunette.

Mai simply nodded.

"Then, tell us what to do then, Mai-chan!" Madoka grinned.

"You better do this right or else Lin-sama won't let you sleep." Ayako said in amusement.

Mai looked at Lin who still seemed to be on edge. "Lin-san?"

Lin closed his eyes and sighed. He was unable to resist her for some reason. "Fine."

Mai smiled, happiness and relief bubbling through her. "It's just quite simple really," She closed her eyes, clasped her hands together and brought it near her chest. A magic circle instantly appeared beneath her, the edges emitting a golden glow. "I'll try my best to make you guys _invisible_." She continued in a soft voice.

Another magic circle, although a bigger one, surrounded the group.

"Fox spirits are much more sensitive to auras rather than physical bodies," She continued explaining. "This fox spirit wants to talk but is feeling very wary of you guys. I'll conceal your auras and physical bodies as much as I can and once you start seeing the fox spirit, please, do not make a sound."

Not a word was uttered while Mai was doing her spell.

Meanwhile, the people inside the magic circle were both pretty excited and impressed. They were all entrapped in this golden circle. Others were engrossed in looking at the strangle symbols while Gene kept his eyes on the girl in front of them. With the way how the others had described her, the golden light made by her magic seemed to very much suit her.

Bright.

Warm.

A beacon of light.

He was initially disappointed in himself because he couldn't remember her at all. But he didn't dwell so much on that. The others had told him that Mai wasn't a hard person to befriend. He had a few more days with her and hopefully within those days, he'd be able to build a solid friendship with her… and maybe something more, dare he hope.

He noticed that the glow of their circle was starting to dim. She placed her index finger on her mouth… and winked.

 _Damn, she's cute._

She turned around and started walking slowly. It was the cue for them to follow and be religiously silent all the way.

Not even passing the two-minute mark, Mai had stopped.

"Hey," She spoke delicately. "Can you come out now and talk to me?"

Silence floated in the air.

And Mai made no move to speak again.

All of a sudden, a huge swirl of fire appeared in front of them which burned very brightly that they all had to close their eyes. The heat from the fire was so intense that they all wondered if their clothes were starting to burn too.

 _He's here…_ Mai's voice echoed through their heads.

The heat from the fire was still there but not as intense as it first appeared. Slowly, they opened their eyes.

A tall, burly man appeared in front of them. His golden hair and bright purple eyes sitting on his handsomely angular face seemed to be such an odd combination yet it suited him so well. What caught their eyes the most was the scars that marred his pale skin. It was all over his arms, shoulders, stomach… probably on his back and legs too. His face was set in a distant expression.

And he had _nine long fluffy white tails_.

"Hi," Mai started to strike a conversation. "May I know your name?"

The man kept his face straight while gazing at Mai.

"Akito." He replied gruffly. "You?"

The brunette smiled. "Mai. It's nice to finally meet you, Akito-san."

"Mai…" Akito looked away, his eyes becoming distant again.

Abruptly, his mouth twisted in a lecherous grin and his purple eyes locking onto Mai's that promised trouble.

"I think I'll have some fun with you first."

 _This is bad…_

 **xxxxx**

 **And there you have it! Another chapter done! I hope this was another good chapter.**

 **As always, thank you so much to all the reviewers! You guys make my day! Thank you for staying with this story even though updates are slow.**

 **And AGAIN, honest reviews are always appreciated.**

 **Just an update, I'm currently working on another chapter for my other story, Probably Arrhythmia. So for those of you who are still faithfully following that story, a chapter will definitely be uploaded soon!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


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